Teej

Teej is a three-day festival celebrated predominantly by women across Nepal. Women wear red saris, apply red tika, don potes (glass bead necklaces), and bangles, and sing traditional folk songs while dancing for joyous celebration.

On the first day, women often receive invitations to their maternal homes for feasting (called “Dar”). The next day, they observe a fast and pray to Lord Shiva for the long, healthy, and prosperous lives of their husbands and families.

At Pashupatinath, thousands of women dressed in red and green assemble to offer their prayers and perform dance rituals. Some foreign women visitors are also invited to join the festivities. Unmarried women likewise participate with zeal, hoping for good husbands. They queue at dawn at Pashupatinath to offer their prayers to Shiva.